TWO Cabinet ministers revealed yesterday they would vote to quit the European Union (EU) if a referendum on our relationship with Brussels was held now.

In an intervention that intensified Government divisions over Brussels, Education Secretary Michael Gove said life outside the EU would be "perfectly tolerable", while Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said Britain needed to "negotiate a better solution".

They spoke out after David Cameron urged all ministers to abstain in a crunch Commons vote this week expressing "regret" over the Government's failure to include an EU referendum pledge in last week's Queen's Speech. Both ministers indicated they would obey the order.

But their decision to break ranks was seen last night as a clarion call to Tory MPs to keep up the pressure.

It was also another massive boost to the Daily Express's campaign for Britain to withdraw from the EU. More than 100 MPs are expected to back the Commons motion in a free vote. Mr Gove became the first serving Cabinet minister to publicly back an EU exit in an interview on BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show yesterday.

He said: "Yes, I'm not happy with our position with the European Union. But my preference is for a change in Britain's relationship.

"My ideal is exactly what the majority of the British public's ideal is, which is to recognise the current situation is no good, to say that life outside would be perfectly tolerable, we could contemplate it, there would be certain advantages.

"But the best deal for Europe and for Britain would be if Britain were to lead the change that Europe needs," Mr Gove added.

Mr Hammond, asked on the BBC Radio Five Live Pienaar's Politics show if his current position on the EU was "out of here", said: "Yes, because I believe that we have to negotiate a better solution that works better for Britain if we are going to stay in and play a part in the EU in the future."

But he added: "Before we talk about leaving it, first of all we're going to try to change the rules and change the way it works and change the objectives that it has in order to make it something that works for Britain."

Earlier, Mr Gove denied claims that the Tories were in a "civil war" over Europe. He said: "Some of my colleagues are very exuberant and want to let off steam. My own view is let the Prime Minister lay out our negotiation platform, make sure that he has a majority... and let's have the referendum then."

Home Secretary Theresa May also said she wanted a renegotiated deal first.

Speaker John Bercow has yet to confirm whether there will be a Commons vote, which would be either tomorrow or Wednesday.